Love Lasts
by TheFantasyNerd
Summary: The last moments of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. During Battle of Hogwarts. Warning: Character Deaths!


Faintly, I heard one of them behind me saying something, but I continued to run. I had to find him. I had to find Remus, my love and my husband. He was fighting the Death Eaters. As I ran, my thoughts flickered quickly. Teddy. My mum. Poor Dad. Remus. Harry and the others. The Order. I can't focus. My breathing hitches as a sob of grief and – dare I admit it – fear forces its way out of my throat. There are so many bodies littering the semi-destroyed corridors of Hogwarts, the site of so many memories of so many wizarding children. And now, it was the site of death, I nearly stumbled over a body. I didn't see the face, but I saw the pajamas under the torn jacket. It was a student. Someone who would never get to learn to Apparate, would never get to get a job, would never get to engage in a Firewhisky-drinking contest at the Three Broomsticks. They'd never get to experience the joy of living a long wizarding life. Sudden bloodthirsty voices tore me from my reverie.

"Ah, poor little puppy. You don't like this? Can't take it, little dog? _Crucio!_"

I rounded the corner to see, in a courtyard, a trio of Death Eaters surrounding a writhing body on the ground. It was Remus. My heart leapt to my throat, and I sank to one knee. His twitching face turned, and I saw his face between the legs of the standing wizards. He wasn't screaming, but his face was screwed up, betraying the agony he felt.

"Poor little dog. Where's your pink-haired clumsy pixie? Where's your mutt of a son? Howl for me, you wimp of a werewolf!"

"Just kill him and be done with it, already! You've been hanging around Bellatrix for too long! There are more Mudbloods and Muggle-loving scum to kill," snarled another. My eyes widened in horror. I could not let them kill him, not while I was watching! As if he heard me, Remus opened his eyes. Between the twitching, his eyes widened a fraction of a degree. Perhaps I was imagining it, but I thought I saw my name form on his lips.

_Dora. _Only he and my parents could call me that, I'd hex anyone else who dared to let that name pass my lips. One of the Death Eaters, a great hulking brute, raised his wand.

"_AVADA –" _

"No!" I screamed. I sprang up and bolted the few lengths. I thought of when Teddy was born, of his short, shifting-color fuzz of hair and of the wide hazel eyes that sparkled with curiosity. I thought of the smile breaking out on Remus's lined face, of the genuine joy that lit in his gentle, weary gaze. And I smiled as I leapt in front of the blaze of green light.

The Cruciatus Curse had hurt terribly. I had managed to hold in the screams that longed to burst from my chest. I had twitched and writhed on the ground as the group of the Death Eaters laughed above. I wouldn't have been able to get up, and I was resigned to them killing me when one suggested that they killed me. It was then that I turned my head, and saw Dora.

I thought she was a spectre, produced by my tortured mind. My eyes widened, and I mouthed her name. I expected her to fade as the curse hit. But then, as he raised his wand to strike me with the blaze of green light, I heard a cry of "No!" and a flash of bubble-gum pink. There was a thud, and an object landed beside me. Her face, eyes shut and the faintest of smiles on her wan face. The wolf in me howled with an inconceivable wrath.

"NOOOOO!" I leapt up, grasping my wand and firing blindly. There were few curses that I had vowed to never use, but the blinding green light shot from my wand, killing the brute that had killed _her. _The other two quickly crumpled to other hexes. With them dealt with, I staggered to her limp form.

"Dora, Dora," I sobbed. "Please, wake up." I knew she wouldn't wake. I dug my hands into my hair, pulling at it in my grief. The wolf let out a keening howl, which rose from my own throat, wailing into the empty corridor. I looked down at her motionless form, bending to touch her colorless cheek.

I don't know how long I knelt over her lifeless frame, but I slowly felt the sadness growing into determined anger. I could hear voices once again, over the woeful pounding in my own ears. Judging by the raucous laughter and cruel snarls, they were Death Eaters. Many Death Eaters. I rose unsteadily to my feet, after touching her lips once more. My expression became one that was emotionless and unconcerned, as if I was just teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, and I raised my wand. There were seven of them, dark robed and jeering. They smirked when they saw me, standing over Dora's body with my wand at shoulder height. I started fighting, knowing that I stood no chance. I saw a wizard fall to my curses, then a wizard. But there were five remaining. They stood in a semicircle before me, wands raised. I half-shrugged, with a rueful smile, as if to say "You got me". I felt a pang for my dear son, and I quickly wished that Harry would prevail. As five voices yelled "_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_, I thought of my wife, Nymphadora Tonks.

I would be rejoining her.


End file.
